


Even if it kills me

by Ellaaashima



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Medieval, F/M, Kozume Kenma & Kuroo Tetsurou Friendship, Light Angst, Nekoma
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-18
Updated: 2019-05-18
Packaged: 2020-03-07 09:09:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 12,154
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18870133
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ellaaashima/pseuds/Ellaaashima
Summary: Kozume Kenma is the only child of the Kozume family. He is the sole heir to the famous group. However, despite his status, he isn’t that special, really.Assassin!Reader x Kenma





	Even if it kills me

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first time posting in ao3 so I hope yall enjoy

Kozume Kenma is the only child of the Kozume family. He is the sole heir to the famous group. However, despite his status, he isn’t that special, really. He’s quite different, and is quick to be made the outcast of almost everywhere he goes. He’s very shy and timid, yet very intelligent among kids his age. He would rather stay inside his quiet home and play video games, than to go outside and socialize with people.

In other words, he can’t defend himself from most of the harm that comes his way. He usually has his personal body guard, and also his best friend, protect him from all things he didn’t like.

“I hear you’re meeting a new guest, Kenma,” Kuroo Tetsurou, Kenma’s body guard, mentions as they leisurely strolled around and about the mansion’s huge backyard garden. He glances at the shorter black haired male playing a game on his phone, waiting for the usual quiet and short response from him.

Kenma simply hums at the mention of the topic. “Father says we’ll be housing the guest for a long time,” he commented as he rapidly pushed buttons on the screen to beat his virtual opponent.

Tetsurou then places his hands behind his head, the usual posture he’d take when he’s casually walking alone or with Kenma. “I wonder how long is that,” He muses, mostly to himself, “She’s probably around your age, too. I saw her arriving this morning.”

The shorter among the two simply hums in return. Yet he knows that deep down he just deeply hopes that the girl is not a trouble to him at all.

“Ooh, here she is now.” Tetsurou halts a step earlier than his companion, eyes looking ahead to a figure not too far away from them. 

And as Kenma follows a second later, he holds his device down. He’s been taught and scolded more times than he could count that he should at least put his handheld device down when meeting someone to not act too rude. And just as he looks, the figure ahead turns to face them, or him.

The female has her hair in a neat ponytail, a lovely dress that complimented her skin tone as her outfit, and an adoring smile on her face that could probably win the hearts of men if she wanted to. She slowly saunters to them, steps precise and quiet.

“She’s heading here. Should I leave?” Tetsurou asks Kenma just to make sure that he doesn’t leave his said friend uncomfortable with a guest at his very home.

Before Kenma could even utter a single syllable, he’s forced to stop and close his mouth shut as the female is now in front of them.

“Lovely day today, isn’t it?” She greeted with the same smile on her face, hands behind her back as she waited for Kenma’s reply.

She didn’t seem dangerous, or uncomfortable to be with. In a glance, there’s just something about her that Kenma is oddly okay with. So Kenma offers her a curt nod, though not able to bring himself to smile. “It is.” He makes quick eye contact with her, and brought his gaze downwards timidly. He felt neutral about her comment and just decided to go along with it.

“My name is [last name] [first name]. I will be staying here starting today, so your father told me to go here to introduce myself to you,” she says while curtsying a bow, holding the top layer of her dress.

“Kozume... Kenma,” hesitantly, he introduces himself. He felt a bit awkward, since he knows that she knows his name already. Even though he was taught to do this all the time, he can’t help but feel uneasy.

Tetsurou clears his throat, attracting [first name]’s attention to himself. “My name is Kuroo Tetsurou, Kenma’s body guard. Call me whichever name is easier, miss [last name],” he finds himself smiling thinly at the maiden in front of him, not wanting to catch her off guard with his usual cheeky like expressions.

“Nice to meet you, Kozume-kun, Tetsurou-kun,” she merely smiles at them yet again as she responded. “Please call me [first name], since we will be seeing each other every day now,” [first name] does not forget to tell the two.

“Will do, [name]-chan,” feeling comfortable and not threatened by her, Tetsurou’s usual smirk becomes present.

“That’s great!” [Name] cheers happily at her own accomplishment. She then looks around the area, as if checking if there was anyone else other than the three of them, but she sees no one in tow. “Mind if I join the two of you? I’d love to look around more,” she requests politely, her head tilted to the side.

Tetsurou doesn’t answer, only looking at his best friend for the answer. He doesn’t mind a new company, especially a girl’s company, now and then.

“.. Sure, [name].” He didn’t know why he had agreed for her to come with them. He would usually say a quick excuse to all girls his father would bring to him. But now he’s letting a stranger walk with him, which is something he has never done before.

As [name] positioned herself at Kenma’s other side, they all walked in utter silence. Kenma didn’t get to continue playing his game, not wanting to seem rude to his guest.

“So, [name]-chan,” Tetsurou eventually began, mentally cursing Kenma for the awkward silence between the three of them, “You just arrived this morning, right? What brings you here?” He questions her as polite as possible. He didn’t want to come off as demanding to her, so he’s holding back most of his manly habits to appeal to her.

She nods a yes at him. “My mother had recently passed away due to sickness that couldn’t be cured on time. She’s close friends with Kozume-kun’s father, and she had given him a letter that allowed me to be in his care as soon as she dies. And now, here I am,” she explains to them without delay.

Tetsurou gulps and mentally hits himself for the topic that made the atmosphere thicker with awkwardness. “I’m sorry for your loss, [name]. I hope you enjoy living here from now on,” he sincerely apologizes to her.

“Please don’t treat me nicely just because my mother died,” [name] says with a chuckle. “People die every day, so all I can do is accept it and move on.”

Her answer had shocked both males. It was almost like she wasn’t affected at all by her mother’s death, but they couldn’t exactly judge her. She must be hiding her sadness so that people will think she’s fine.

“Anyway, would it be fine if you two give me a tour?” Changing topics, [name] requests from them once again. “I want to know all the secret hide outs, all the entrances and exits!”

At her enthusiasm, Tetsurou couldn’t help but snort. “Sure. Kenma knows probably all secrets here more than me,” he says while nudging the quiet male at his side.

“Then lead the way, Kozume-kun!”

 

_4 years later_

Kenma finds himself becoming closer and closer to [name]. He finds her much easier to tolerate than before. He must admit that he was uncomfortable around her at first, but that’s how he’s usually around people he first encounters.

Now, they’re considered close friends. [Name] could be seen around Kenma every single day. She would accompany him around the Kozume manor, along with Tetsurou as their body guard. She’s with him when he’s playing games in the library, helping him sneak into the kitchen, and even hiding with him in one of his secret hideouts from all the pestering maids and butlers.

“Have you seen [name]?” Kenma asks first thing in the morning one day as he meets with his body guard in the garden. When he’s meeting with Tetsurou, the tall male always has [name] by his side to escort her so it’s odd to see him alone.

“She says she has something to do first,” Tetsurou answers, taking his usual spot beside Kenma. “You’ve been really attached to her, huh? I don’t blame you, [name]-chan is a nice girl. You get along well with her.” As Tetsurou mildly jokes, he glances at Kenma to see his reaction.

Kenma shrugs his shoulders, huffing. “We’re just friends, Kuroo.” Even though he says that, he can’t help but think that maybe his best friend is saying something right.

“Just friends?” Tetsurou echoes back in mockery. “Yeah right, you can’t lie to me about this, Kenma. Don’t worry, though, I won’t interfere with whatever the two of you have as friends,” he snicker to himself, “C’mon, at least admit that she’s pretty. You’re an adult now, so finding someone like [name] must be doing something to you.”

Eyes on the ground, Kenma shook his head. “Stop it, Kuroo,” he finally says, annoyed at all the teasing. “I don’t like her that way.”

His actions were saying something different, though. Tetsurou doesn’t miss the way how Kenma doesn’t make eye contact with him, only keeping his eyes down as if the ground is the most interesting thing in the world. He doesn’t miss the fact that Kenma didn’t even throw him a glare, because he would usually do so if he’s reprimanding him. At all the signals he notices, he just chuckles to himself with a shake of his head at his best friend’s denial.

The duo then resumed to walk in silence. Kenma is lost in his thoughts as he walked, so he pulls out his phone to be able to keep his mind distracted with the unwanted thoughts his companion had put there. And as for Tetsurou, he surveys the place as they walked, even though he’s been there more times than he could count. There just seems to be something odd, he doesn’t know, but he just feels like it.

And as they strolled, the last person of their group arrives just in time to make the silence go away. [Name] is seen clad in something quite unusual, a dark coloured dress shirt, pants and leather boots. She’s running breathlessly, as if she’s been running this whole time.

“[Name]-chan?” Tetsurou looks at her with concern eyes. “Are you okay? There’s no need to ru—“

“We need to leave. Now,” she orders the two males with immense authority, not exactly sounding like her usual cheery self. She hurriedly took action to grab Kenma’s wrist, but Tetsurou’s own hand blocks her arm. “Tetsurou, we need to leave now,” [name] repeated herself with a hard stare, “And I don’t like to say it another time.”

Her behaviour stunned the duo. [Name] wasn’t one to rush, or so they’d like to think, and seeing her in a state like this truly surprised them.

“What happened, [name]?” Suddenly feeling fear of what’s to happen, Tetsurou questions her. “We’re safe here, don’t wo—“

“Don’t tell me not to worry when Kenma’s life is in danger!” [Name] raises her voice, standing on her ground stubbornly. 

Kenma is having a hard time taking this all in. He gulps the lump in his throat, looking around the garden to see if someone would suddenly appear somewhere. His fear increases when they all hear the sound of explosion somewhere not too far away. The male looks at [name], waiting for her to explain.

“I’ll explain on the way,” [name] reassures them, beginning to walk to one of the secret passages of the garden that led them out.

Even though they’re walking away from the danger, they still didn’t feel safe.

“Explain now, [name],” Tetsurou demands in a hurry as they stood in front of a stone wall covered with vines and dirt. “I have to know what we’re exactly up against to know how to protect you both.”

The last statement made [name] laugh, knowing she can do more than just protect herself. “You won’t exactly believe me either, Tetsurou,” she says while pushing back several vines back to reveal a tunnel that leads somewhere in the forest.

Kenma went in first, being the number one priority and all. Then [name] went in next, swiftly but quickly stepping down. As Tetsurou follows, he makes the mistake of grabbing [name]’s shoulder to hold her back and have her give him the answer he’s been asking for. Big mistake on his part, because [name] instantly grabbed his wrist, about to haul him over her shoulder if only she didn’t hear the surprised gasp coming from him.

“What the..?” In utter confusion, Tetsurou stares at the hands that held his arm, then at the stance that the female took. He knew she knew what she was doing with only her precise footing. 

Pulling her arm back, [name] huffs and trudges forward to lead the way. She walks passed a very stunned Kenma, but she tries to brush their looks away. She knew she’s screwed up.

Kenma looks at his best friend, then at [name], before following her. “What’s going on, [name]?” His voice surprisingly held deep desperation. He, too, wanted to know what exactly is happening to have her act this way.

[Name] still resumed walking, thinking if she should really tell them. They do have the right to know, but she isn’t ready for the questioning part. With a sigh, she finally speaks, “Are you both familiar with the Snakes?” 

“The Snakes?” Tetsurou echoes back in disbelief. “When you say Snakes, do you mean the dangerous group that rivals us?”

“The Snakes and Cats have been rivals for centuries. And after years of going into hiding, they show up and attack us today,” [name] explains thoroughly, careful to not say any information that aren’t meant to be shared. “They attacked. And they only have one motive, to slaughter everyone who they consider as enemies.”

Kenma gulps, knowing that he may be one of the main targets, being the son of the leader of the Cats. 

“.. That’s why Kenma is in danger,” catching up and understanding [name]’s rush earlier, Tetsurou nodded.

“Which means we’ll have to protect Kenma with our lives,” [name] says with all seriousness, gradually coming into a stop as she sees the exit that will lead them into temporary freedom.

“How do you know all this?” The question leaves Kenma’s mouth before he could even think about it. However, there is no turning back now. He wanted to really know, anyway.

[Name] climbed the metal ladder leading to the hole above. “That’s a story for another time, I believe,” she says, wanting to avoid the topic as best as possible.

The three climbed the ladder one after the other. When they were out of the hole, they marvelled at the large trees that surrounded them. [Name] had only been here a few times when she wanted to clear her head, dragging Kenma and Tetsurou along the way, the green scenery had calmed her and helped her be at peace. As for Kenma and Tetsurou, the former would only go here if [name] would ask of him, or if he was upset and the latter only went here to accompany both of his friends.

“Come on,” beckoned [name] quickly, dusting her clothes as she surveyed the area. “We need to find a place to stay when the moon is out,” she tells them while looking ahead of a path that was barely seen because of the fallen leaves that were rotting away on the ground.

They trudged forward, without exchanging any words to each other. [Name] is still anxious to be found by the Snakes, fearing more for Kenma’s life than her own. Kenma feared for what’s to come next as well, but he hoped that they would somehow find a way through to hide themselves and never be found by the Snakes. Meanwhile, Tetsurou worried about being caught, but he also had his fair thoughts of suspicion towards the female that had been leading their way all this time.

[Name] decided on staying at a large clearing near a river, thinking that it would be best if they have some sort of guide when they leave the next day. She huffs as she sees Kenma take a seat while he leaned his back on a large tree, and Tetsurou had asked him a few questions of how he’s been.

“I’ll look around to find us some food,” [name] spoke up, walking away to not hear any protests from them. She knows well enough that Tetsurou would try and stop her and be the gentleman of the group, but she can handle herself just fine.

[Name] didn’t go too far from their temporary camp. She didn’t want to be too far that she can’t help them when something happens. If anything, she’ll dash right back and kick anyone’s ass who’ll try to harm Kenma and Tetsurou. And in the end, she only got to gather a few apples. Satisfied with something rather than nothing, she went back to camp.

At the camp, there was a small fire starting. [Name] picked up a few more strayed branches and threw it into the fire, enjoying the warmth that it provided.

“How are you not freaked out about any of this?” Suddenly, Tetsurou had asked the question he’s been thinking about ever since they’ve arrived at the forest. He stares at the female as she casually gathered tons of leaves, and sat on the pile.

As [name] gathered the leaves, she contemplated on how she should answer that question. She should be careful not to say anything too informative. If anything, all she could do is say a white lie. And a white lie she told. “I don’t want to be a burden to you anyone. All I have to do is accept the situation and move on,” she answers with a blank face, throwing an apple towards the male.

Tetsurou caught the fruit, staring at it as if he was checking it if it was poisonous. He eventually took a bite into it, glancing at his best friend sleeping not too far away.

“You must be so scared, then, but you just won’t show us,” Tetsurou commented at her statement. He’s noticed that she always says that, ever since they first met years ago, she said the same thing as well. 

The female shrugs her shoulders in a bored manner. “It’s a thing I’ve learned since I was young,” [name] had stated, her eyes watching the pieces of wood burn slowly. “The world doesn’t revolve around me, Tetsurou. I can’t just stay hurt forever and expect for everyone to treat me nicely.”

Her words held much more meaning to it, Tetsurou decided. But he didn’t pressure her to say anything more.

Finishing her apple, [name] throws whatever was left of it to the fire. The flames had easily engulfed the finished fruit, and it rotted away just like the rest of the wood. She stands up and glances at Kenma, then at Tetsurou, “I’m going to get more wood, Tetsurou,” she reveals.

The bed headed male stood up abruptly, stopping [name]. “I’ll get them. You should stay and rest a bit,” he tells her, “Someone has to watch over Kenma. We can’t leave him alone.”

Agreeing, [name] took Tetsurou’s spot. She watched as Tetsurou’s figure faded, and she heaves a sigh. She let’s herself loosen up for a moment, breathing and taking everything in. So far, she’s kept Kenma and Tetsurou safe, and away from the real truth as to why she knows so much and what is her real purpose in being taken in the Kozume family. She mentally pats herself on the back for her accomplishment so far.

While [name] was lost in her own thoughts, she doesn’t notice Kenma stirring awake. And she only snaps back to reality when Kenma calls her name. “What is it, Kenma?” The female asks with a light smile on her face to cover up her deep thoughts.

“Someone else is here,” Kenma utters softly, his bright coloured eyes darting around the trees. If it weren’t for the fire, they would be consumed by darkness. However, the fire isn’t providing much light since the bits and pieces of the firewood is turning into ashes.

“Don’t worry,” [name] speaks before surveying around the area. But as soon as she hears the crunching of leaves nearby, she grows alert, standing up to her full height. Her hand reaches toward her waist, where a small knife had been attached by a belt.

The leaves continued to be a damaged by someone’s careful footsteps. By the sound of it, [name] concluded that it couldn’t be Tetsurou, because the male would just walk up to them. However, this person has yet to reveal himself.

Finally, two figures had stepped close enough so that their faces could be seen. There appeared a man that looked like a hunter, holding a sharp knife near his hostage’s throat. The hostage is none other than Tetsurou, defenceless with his hands behind his back.

“Drop whatever weapon you have, missy,” the hunter orders with a sly smirk on his soiled face. He was an unpleasant man to look at, especially with the knife he held near his hostage’s throat in a threatening manner.

[Name] slowly moves her hands up in the air, side glancing at Kenma to check if he’s safe. She sees the fear clearly evident in his eyes, and knew she had to finish things quick before things got out of hand. “What do you want?” The female asks to buy time, her eyes quickly sweeping around the area to be able to make out any other intruders. However, the hunter seems to be alone.

“Gimme the boy,” the man commanded roughly, motioning towards Kenma’s figure. “If you do, this boy lives.” The knife in his grasp presses against the skin lightly. Any wrong move, he’ll slit Tetsurou’s throat open.

Kenma’s eyes widened when [name] had nodded in agreement. Was his friend really ready to give him up for another? How cruel.

“Let him go first, and you’re free to do as you please,” [name] casually tells the hunter while carefully watching his movements. When the hunter let’s Tetsurou go, carelessly dropping his knife, he wickedly grins and advances toward Kenma.

[Name] drew her knife out when the hunter had passed by her, and she swiftly drove the knife into the man’s back. While the hunter stood, frozen in shock, [name] pushes the knife even further into his body. The hunter didn’t move moments later, as blood spilled from his body and his mouth.

Wordlessly, [name] takes whatever she could get from the hunter, then grabbed his arm and dragged him out of the camp. She had quickly thrown the body into the river, gathered as much firewood as she can, and went back to camp, expecting questions from her two companions.

Kenma only looked ahead, very disturbed on what he just witnessed. He couldn’t believe that [name] had killed the man as if he was just a sack of potatoes waiting to be opened. She didn’t even mind the blood, showing no emotion on her face as she stabbed him on the back and took his life. He could never remove the image of the man’s eyes slowly turning lifeless, his body falling limp on the ground.

And as for Tetsurou, the one the hunter had used as a hostage, looked at [name] with a hard stare. She’s been hiding a bit of secrets since earlier, he can tell, but now the questions he’s been meaning to ask her just increased as he witnessed [name] kill the hunter. There will be no secrets to hide anymore, he concluded, he’ll persistently ask her over and over if that’s what it takes.

“I suppose you have questions,” [name] slowly began, sitting on her spot earlier before Tetsurou had left. She grabs an uneaten apple, offering it to any of the males, but they declined it by not saying a word about the fruit.

“Who are you really, [name]?” Tetsurou asks while looking at her eyes, not wanting to miss any possible hint that he could find. “You just killed a man—“

“Who was willing to threaten someone as defenceless as you,” [name] finishes off rudely, returning the same hard stare Tetsurou gave her. “Kenma escaped the Snakes, who are after him. That means that they’ll give an award to whoever finds him.”

Tetsurou is beginning to understand her perspective, but it seems like he didn’t want to accept it. “You didn’t have to kill him, did you? Wounding him would have been enough,” he says in protest.

“And let him go to tell the Snakes where he found us? Not a chance,” [name] counters back harshly. “You have to understand, Tetsurou, that travelling will not be as easy you think. People will be on the run to find Kenma to turn him in.”

“How do you know all this?” Anger and frustration building up, Tetsurou questions. “How do you know the Snakes are after Kenma? That we needed to escape and protect him? How did you even know if that man was going to turn Kenma in?! How?!”

Taking in a breath slowly, [name] acts as the mature one. She watches as Kenma looks at his best friend in concern, not usually seeing him angry. “My name is [full name]. I was given the job to protect Kozume Kenma at all costs because Kozume-san found out that the Snakes were coming. In other words, I’m an assassin. The Snakes attacked this afternoon while I was speaking with Kozume-san, I tried to save him but he told me to go and escape the manor with Kenma. The Snakes are after all Cats, and Kenma is the sole heir to the group, so they definitely want to kill him and will do whatever it takes to do so. Whatever it is I do in this journey, I do it to protect the both of you, so please try to understand the position I’m in,” [name] explains fully, no white lies or shortcuts, just the whole truth that lifted the huge burden she had on her shoulders.

“You’re...” Kenma gulps, staring at the female who had suddenly turned into a stranger, “An assassin?” 

“That’s a lot to take in, I know, Kenma,” [name] chuckles to herself. She searches in Kenma’s eyes for any sign of fear, like what she would usually find if her victims found out who she was, but she only found confusion and betrayal in his cat eyes. “Best thing to do is go to sleep, then,” she decided seriously, “I’ll stay awake just in case. So go get some rest, you two, I’ll wake you up at dawn.”

Wordlessly, the two had obeyed. Tetsurou really wanted to be the good guy and take her place as the look out, but he couldn’t find it in him to speak to her. He felt betrayed for the huge secret she’s been hiding, for four years. They’ve known each other that long, but he never received any word about it. He wasn’t sure if he could trust her anymore. With those thoughts, Tetsurou went to a dreamless sleep.

 

When the sun was beginning to set, [name] went to the river to wash her face. She had been thinking of how she’ll act around Kenma and Tetsurou, and concluded that she should start from square one again. Grabbing a few more apples for the journey, she went back to camp, finding Kenma stirring awake already.

“Good morning, Kenma,” [name] greets the male with a smile on her face. It was the same smile she wore on the first day they met, the same smile that had lured Kenma in and resulted in him befriending the assassin in an undercover mission to save him.

The smile was real, Kenma knew. He’s known her for years, and he knows that she really meant it because the corner of her eyes wrinkled in a way only she could do unknowingly. “.. Morning,” Kenma responds back, mentally cursing himself for being so observant and having these thoughts just because of her smile.

“Slept well, I hope?” [Name] asks next. “We have a long journey ahead of us. Breakfast?” She offers him an apple, which the male eagerly accepted.

As [name] walked up to him, she carefully hands him the apple. The slight feel of their skin together sent Kenma a jolt of happiness. He gripped at the apple, and slowly bit into it.

[Name] approaches the sleeping figure of Tetsurou next. She made sure to not be too close to him, reminding herself that she has to regain his trust as well for them to be able to survive together. “Tetsurou? Wake up, it’s time to go.”

It took awhile for Tetsurou to even stir awake, but [name] smiles when Tetsurou gradually stood up to stretch and have a yawn leave his lips. “Good morning, sir. Are you ready to leave now?” The assassin politely asked.

Tetsurou hums a reply, “Where will we be heading?” He asks her curiously. 

“If I remember correctly, which I do, there will be a town not too far west. We’ll be able to get much more proper food for us there, and then we’ll head off more to the east,” she reveals her plan to them honestly. She wouldn’t lie to them now, so she’ll stay as honest as possible to them to be able to regain their trust fair and square.

“Why the east side?” Kenma asks their supposed leader. He raises his eyebrows in question, not really sure what is there to find in the east side of the world.

[Name] begins to move forward, beckoning for the two to follow her quickly. “The east is being ruled by the Crows, Kenma,” she informs him politely. “If you had been listening to your history lessons, you’ll remember that the Cats and the Crows have an alliance together. Presenting yourself as the Cat’s new leader would surely make them agree to help you until you’re back on your feet,” she sends him a smile as she explains to him.

Tetsurou clears his throat, “The Owls can help us, too, you know,” he notifies the female. “Kenma and I are well known there, too. We’re friends with the inheritor of the group?” He suggests, but deep inside he would rather go with his idea.

“Ah,” [name] chuckles, nodding her head. “Yes, I’m familiar, Tetsurou. Bokuto and Akaashi, right? I had met them on their last visit. That is a nice idea, but it would take much longer to go to the north side, and the Snakes know that we have connections with them. So it’s better to play safe and be smarter than them, which is siding with our old allies.”

With a dejected sigh, Tetsurou simply gives in. Kenma mentally snickers, finding their conversation amusing to hear.

It took about four hours for them to be able to see the next town up ahead. The trio cheers at their accomplishment and resumes to pace towards the town.

Upon arriving at the town, [name] quickly finds themselves some food. She purchases them with the money she stole from the hunter she killed last night. 

Once they’ve got their fill, [name] goes around the town to find someone to help them reach their destination. As she and a young man were talking about each other’s plan, they were surrounded by several armed men all at once. Of course, [name] didn’t have any second thoughts of what was this all about, so she draws out her dagger and pointed it at the man who looks like the leader.

“We don’t want any trouble,” said the leader, maliciously smirking. He brings his long spear forward, ready to thwart anything or anyone in his way.

“We agree,” Tetsurou had countered back, protectively standing in front of [name] and Kenma. “Then let’s just forget this ever happened and go our separate ways.”

“Don’t go poking ‘round someone else’s business,” barked the leader rudely, his smirk morphing into a deep frown. He doesn’t look so pleased having Tetsurou stand tall and emitting a proud aura around him.

With a click of her tongue, [name] makes the first move and throws her dagger towards one of the men. It had hit him straight on his forehead, and the man falls back with his last breath. All of his comrades took this as a sign to attack, and they lunge forward with their weapons.

“Go now, [name]!” Tetsurou exclaims while dodging a sword about to pierce his torso.

Kenma backs up to not get caught in the fight. When he hears footsteps behind him, he is ready to greet death, but is instead met with the man [name] was talking to earlier. He’s signalled to move closer, and he quietly follows.

“You’re heading to the Crows,” the man stated seriously, eyeing Kenma blankly.

Wordlessly, Kenma nodded his head. “We need to wait... For them,” he hesitates on how to refer to his best friends oddly.

The man returns the nod, leading Kenma inside the cart that he owned. He looks back, watching as Tetsurou and [name] fight and defend themselves.

[Name] is fighting head on with the leader of the group. She ducks as the male pushes the spear to her head, swiftly swiping her leg under his feet to have him on the ground. She took the spear forcefully from his grasps, and mercilessly aimed it towards his throat. “Whom do you work for?” She questions, voice almost in a whisper.

The leader chuckles darkly, staring at her. He hesitantly grabbed the long handle of the spear, holding unto it to at least fight for his life. “Someone who wants that squirt you travel with. Someone who’s mad for his blood to be spilled.”

She pushes the tip of the spear on his chest, threatening to kill him in one push. “Go back to your boss,” she commands grimly, “And tell him that we don’t have any intention in doing what he wants.”

“Ah,” he chuckles once again, finding everything happening right now amusing. “He thought you would say that. If that’s the case, we want your other friend,” he says with a very sinister smile on his face.

Eyes widening, [name] looks up. “Tetsur—“her words were stuck in her throat when she’s airborne for a split second, and then on the ground. Once again, she does another attempt to call out to her friend, but gasps instead when she sees Tetsurou being held back by all the men that were still alive and moving.

Kenma watches with wide eyes as the leader cackles a loud laugh and accusingly point his spear towards [name]. He couldn’t move to help, being unfamiliar with any type of combat. He was never trained for any sort of fight, and he never wanted to, until now. He regrets every day of his life just sitting and playing his games, he could have used those days to train and ready for himself for the unknown. But instead he plays games all day. What he gets in return is his best friend taken away from him.

“Until we meet again.” The leader cackles one last laugh, and he signals his men to take Tetsurou away. “Don’t worry; we’ll take good care of him.”

[Name] couldn’t do anything, not while being unarmed. If only she had a couple of more weapons, she could have saved Tetsurou. And as she gets on the cart full of hay beside Kenma, her thoughts were filled with all of the things she could have done to save Tetsurou.

Kenma awkwardly sat beside [name]. He was taught to be nice and not rude to people, but he was never taught of how to treat a woman when she was on the verge of crying. He, too, was sympathizing; he didn’t know how to handle it all at once. Tetsurou is his best friend from the start; and he didn’t even do anything to rescue him. Nothing.

The man who controlled the reins of the horses up front clears his throat to somewhat ease the silence between them. He doesn’t show them a reassuring smile, or a pitiful look, just a blank face that meant nothing. “I’m sorry for your loss.”

[Name] wipes a forming tear, taking a deep breath. “He’s not dead,” she declares confidently, “They won’t kill him. They’ll use him as some sort of leverage to have us go to them. But we won’t go back, not until we’re ready.”

“.. I see,” the man responds with a nod. “And you think that going to the Crows will prepare you for what’s to come?” 

“Yes. I will do everything in my power to protect him,” [name] sadly smiles at Kenma. She slowly raises her arm, and then suddenly pats his head. “He means the world to me, and it’s my job to protect him.”

Kenma looks away to hide the red hue on his cheeks. He makes eye contact with their guide, and clenches his teeth when he notices the glint of amusement in his eyes.

“Anyway,” [name] composes herself back to normal, clearing her throat. “We had a bad start, I apologize. My name is [name], thank you so much for your help.”

“Kageyama Tobio. It’s a pleasant surprise to meet you and the heir to the Cats.” His last statement made [name] and Kenma share a look. Tobio simply nodded again, “I’m from Karasuno, and a friend of the Crows. I’m sure they’ll accept you.”

Kenma gulps, and nears [name] to whisper in her ear. “He’s suspicious...” He mutters quietly, being sure that only she could hear him.

“He’ll take us, Kenma,” [name] smiles reassuringly. “If he tries to hurt you in anyway, I’ll be sure to pay him back tenfold.” Her innocent smile doesn’t seem so innocent anymore as the last words leave her mouth seriously.

Tobio sweat drops, but keeps his face blank as usual. “You don’t have to worry about me hurting him, [name]-san...”

The three of them got along well. They travelled for hours, until it had become dark. They set up camp on the side of the road, quietly settling down to not attract too much attention to them if there were any people passing by.

“I’ll take first watch,” [name] says from where she sat on the ground. She has a huge pile of wood beside her feet, varying from different sizes and shapes in whatever forms it could take.  “Tobio, you have anything sharp with you? Some sort of dagger, perhaps?” She then asks the taller male, evaluating the sticks on the ground.

Tobio hums, extracting a very sharp dagger from the inside of his vest. He throws the weapon in an instant towards [name], though he was careful to throw it in a way that won’t harm her. The assassin catches it perfectly, a small smile on her face as she handled the dagger well on her hands.

“I’ll take the next watch,” Tobio offers kindly despite his face that clearly held no emotion at all. He makes himself comfortable on the ground next to a tall tree so that he’s able to rest on it, even though it would most likely cause him back pain when he wakes up.

“Sure,” [name] agrees with a nod, her gaze then shifting toward Kenma who’s been asleep almost half of their journey so far. The assassin notices the rising and falling actions of his torso, and if she would strain herself then she would also be able to hear the sound of his calm breathing. 

Not too long afterwards, Tobio is sound asleep. [Name] uses the dagger she’s borrowed to carve sticks into her desired shape. She would surely need a new weapon, and this is better than nothing. As an assassin, she could still fight without a weapon, but not to the same extent when she’s against a group of people.

When her thoughts were once again clouded with the events that had happened earlier in the day, she’s unknowingly biting and chewing the inside of her cheeks. She had clenched the dagger a tad bit tighter, sometimes pausing as she worked on carving the stick in her grasps.

While that’s happened, Kenma rouses from his long slumber. He doesn’t have to move much to be able to look at [name]. And when his eyes land on her figure, he doesn’t miss the constant pause of her hands, and her cheeks becoming the tiniest bit thin from time to time. Kenma sits up properly, and he ponders on the thought of calling out to her. He knows that she’s in deep thought just with her facial expression, but he isn’t sure what to say to her.

“[Name].” The name then leaves Kenma before he could comprehend what he had just done. He awkwardly glances at his feet, and looks up to see if she heard him moments later. When his cat eyes meet with her rather warm and comforting ones, he looks back down again.

“What is it, Kenma?” The assassin then responds, putting her arms down for awhile. “You can’t go back to sleep?” She takes a guess afterwards, resuming in sharpening the stick that was slowly taking the shape of a dagger.

Kenma simply hums his answer. “What are you doing?” He eyes the sticks on her feet with a questioning look.

“I left my dagger on someone’s head,” she chuckles regretfully, shutting her eyes for a few seconds to envision the man falling and gasping for his last breath. “And now I’m making a new one. I can’t just stay unarmed, you know? I need a weapon to protect you, Kenma. I can’t always fight bare handed, even if I wanted to,” she says those words so honestly that it had Kenma thinking she likes him more than a friend.

Pushing away any false hope aside that would lead to being heartbroken, Kenma hums again. He simply watches her skilfully cut the stick until it was fully shaped into a dagger’s sharp end. [Name] looks at her weapon in satisfaction, passing it to her other hand, and back to her dominant hand. 

“Quite fascinating, isn’t it?” [Name] looks at Kenma straight in the eyes as she asks. There’s a glimmer of happiness and pride in her eyes, and also a tinge of wickedness that Kenma doesn’t fail to spot. “In order to protect ourselves, we have to kill our enemies. And if we don’t, they kill us first,” her words are meaningful, knowing something that Kenma doesn’t.

Kenma gulps discreetly, rubbing his hands together when he felt a shiver run down his spine. “I don’t think we need to kill unnecessarily,” he replies quietly.

[Name] doesn’t answer, only taking another stick and the not wooden dagger in her grasps to make another wooden dagger. She lets the silence last only for a few minutes, before she was struck with a wonderful idea. “Kenma,” she calls, not looking up to meet his eyes. “Do you want to learn how to handle a dagger?” Her question has Kenma stunned, not really expecting her to offer that question.

Curiosity wants him to say yes, but insecurity and doubt told him no. “I... Don’t think that I could do it,” he says bashfully, staring at his hands. 

[Name] smiles at his answer, placing everything she held down on the ground. Quietly, she stands up on her feet and approaches Kenma, kneeling in front of him to be of the same height. When Kenma was about to ask what was she doing, [name] rests her index finger on his lips lightly to signal him to be quiet.

“Kenma,” softly, she spoke his name. “You can and will do it. I believe in you, okay?” She’s tempted to go closer, but held herself back. 

This wasn’t like the cliché moments wherein the person being encouraged suddenly agrees with only one attempt, no. Kenma is different, not like the rest of the people in the world. When he hears her encouragement, he becomes motivated, but he still did have his doubts. “[Name], I can’t...” He whispers in defeat, hanging his head low.

“There will come a time where you need to protect yourself, Kenma,” [name] says in all seriousness, not doing anything to have the male look at her in the eyes. “I don’t plan on leaving you, but we may never know when you need to drive a knife on someone’s heart. I know it sounds terrifying to have someone else’s blood on your hands, however, you have to trust me on this.”

Kenma takes a quick peek at her, looking almost like a girl with his shoulder length black hair. He heaves a heavy sigh, and reluctantly nods his head. 

[Name] smiles widely, ruffling his hair fondly. “That’s great, Kenma! We’ll start tomorrow,” she informs him while getting on her feet again. “So you better get some more sleep.”

Kenma was just about to lie back on his bed of leaves on the ground, but he hesitates. He turns his gaze back to [name], seeing her go back to her spot to make another wooden dagger. 

“[Name],” he gently calls her. He was doubtful that she hadn’t heard him, but he wasn’t surprise, either, when she looks back at him with knitted eyebrows. “You should get some sleep, too,” he advises her with an indifferent expression.

The assassin looks at the dark sky, letting herself smile once again. “We’ll have a long journey ahead of us, Kenma. I’ll wake Tobio up and get some rest to get ready for it.”

 

_3 years later_

Kenma couldn’t deny his feelings any longer for the assassin. He thought he was going to move on; but that was three years ago. Three years ago either felt like a decade, or it felt like it was just yesterday wherein he and [name] along with their third member of the trio escaped the Kozume manor from the Snakes who were still hunting them down after all this time. However, three years is a long time, and it was more than enough time for Kenma to be able to adjust to his new life of adventure.

For the past three years, he had learned how to protect himself. Not just with a simple dagger, like what [name] had promised him, but also with other weapons his fifteen year old self wouldn’t even thought of ever handling in his boring life. It isn’t just with the weapons, he also knew hand to hand combat, somehow, because [name] kept on pestering him about learning how to fight bare handed. Kenma did have to admit it felt nice to beat someone up, but he’d still rather use a weapon if he was ever asked.

Also, he had dyed a part of his hair blond. At first, he was really against the idea, but [name] insisted for his safety. He didn’t really like the colour on himself, but soon found himself growing on it. All these changes, not even half of it he liked, but there was just nothing he could do about it now.

One thing that didn’t change, though, is his interest for gadgets. With the resources of the Crows, he was able to make his own gadgets. He sells some to the Crows, in the market, but he kept the best gadgets for himself.

And [name], well, she and Kenma got along much better than before. She really wanted to rebuild her relationship with Kenma from scratch, and she did fulfil that vow to herself. And with Tetsurou gone, she made Kenma her top priority at all times. Wherever they were, whoever they were with, she kept a watchful eye on him. She made sure that they have escape plans wherever they went, be it the craziest of places like the abandoned towers or kitchen areas. [Name] didn’t want to make the same mistake with Tetsurou anymore.

[Name] didn’t protect Kenma just because she was hired to do so. She did, for a time, but time has changed. She did sort of like him before they had lost Tetsurou to the Snakes, but after getting to know Kenma as her true self and not some person Kenma’s father had taken in, she finds herself in a situation she couldn’t get out of.

Yet despite the fact that they’re already adults who are allowed to make their own decisions, none of them wanted to make a move to the other. They didn’t want to destroy this, whatever relationship they had. Sometimes, they would glance at each other and smile and pretend that they don’t notice, and all witnesses that are their friends could only internally groan because they thought that they should just get together.

One day, during [name] and Kenma’s trip back to Karasuno from the West woods, they were spending a quiet time together while enjoying each other’s presence, they were surrounding by a group of men whom dressed suspiciously.

“Good day, gentlemen,” smoothly greeted [name] with a saint like smile on her face. Her hold on the reins of the horses of their carriage tightened, and she got ready to pull out her weapons to harm anyone who got too close for their comfort.

“A good day indeed,” agreed one of them. “Now let’s quit the chit chat. You know what we want.” His tone wasn’t one to brush off; especially if it was a voice that [name] couldn’t exactly forget.

“I want all of you gone before I lose my temper.” [Name] still kept the smile on her face, but she emitted a rather dark aura that had frightened a few of the men.

“No can do, missy.” The leader maliciously grinned under his mask, though [name] did take note of the way his eyes squinted dangerously on the person beside her.

Wasting no time, [name] snapped the reins to make the horses run. She turned to look behind her, and saw the group following right behind her. They had no chance in catching up with them on foot, though it was a hassle to have someone finally track them down after having been in hiding all these years. [Name] passed the reins to Kenma, telling him her plan.

“Keep it fast but steady, Kenma,” she instructs with a now blank face. She pulls her bow from her back, taking an arrow to go along with it. “I’ll make sure none of them are going to catch up.”

Wordlessly, Kenma followed. He kept his eyes on the road ahead, but couldn’t help but feel worried for any possible outcomes.

[Name] shot one arrow, and it landed straight on a man’s bald head. The man fell back, knocking the two men behind him in the process. Next, she shot another one on his thigh, and the man fell with a cry of pain. For the next few arrows, [name] smiled every time she shot a man down and hear their screams for help. It has been awhile since she’s had her human killing.

However, her fun was disrupted. One of the attackers shot an arrow; it had missed [name] and Kenma, but not their horse. The horse neighed as it fell on his legs, and the whole carriage was destroyed with that simple action.

[Name] and Kenma had a few scratches from falling off of the carriage. Kenma had a bit too many scratches on his face and arm, being not prepared from being thrown off. And [name] had gotten up, quickly supporting Kenma up by the arm, signalling him with a nod of her head.

Kenma hesitantly took out his own bow, slowly shooting down the men. He was able to miss a few times, but [name] covered for him. His body was a bit sore, though he forced himself to move. It was only a matter of life and death here; he honestly did want the former of the options.

Eventually, things took a turn for the worse. They ran out of arrows, and they had no choice but to run with whatever time they have. [Name] pushed Kenma forward, making sure that she still kept an eye on him.

Their attackers followed suit, still not giving up. They caught up with the duo minutes later. And they surrounded them, a group of around twenty men against a measly team of two.

“If you value your life, it’s best to step back, missy,” said the leader smugly, staring down at [name] with an intent to kill.

“I would rather die.” [Name] pulled twin daggers from her waist, showing off by twirling it around her fingers almost without effort.

Kenma knew that this day would come, but he never expected it to happen now. Although he did know it would eventually happen because his life has been absolute hell for him for the past few years now. And so he mustered all of his courage to take his dagger out of his vest; a dagger especially made for him, a dagger that Hinata Shoyo had his best craftsmen and weapon people make. It was just like any dagger, small and sharp, but it was the little crow and cat carvings that made it unique, and the fact that it was from Shoyo made it even more special.

Seeing Kenma take out his weapon, [name] allows herself to smirk lightly. “You’re all in big trouble now.” She knows how dangerous the male can be with melee weapons, if he wanted to be, and if he was very serious as well.

The duo then began to attack the members of the gang one by one. Despite the fact that [name] and Kenma were outnumbered, not to mention that they only have a dagger each for a weapon, they still fought their way out. [Name] took on all those who ran towards her, slicing and stabbing the bodies with a smile like they were just sacks of potatoes while avoiding their weapons as well. Kenma had his fair share of fighting, too, having an advantage of being a bit smaller and quicker than the larger men who lunged at him.

[Name] became a bit worried for Kenma for a moment as they fought. She lost her smile and then peeked at the male from her left side. But her smile returns when she sees that Kenma isn’t having a hard time at all, avoiding punches and slicing open stomachs or stabbing them somewhere critical. [Name] then focused back on her own battles, letting her mind be clouded by the thought of killing all who stood in her path. She had missed this, the feeling of having the blood of her enemies on her hands.

While [name] was busy with fending off for herself, the leader of the gang went up to Kenma with a cry and about to throw a punch. Kenma, thankfully, is able to act out a quick escape to not have his face be bruised. That act was repeated for another few times, the leader being persistent and Kenma trying to find an opening as to when he’ll strike. And when the leader paused for a moment to catch his breath, Kenma quickly crouched a bit and charged forward with his dagger toward the leader’s stomach.

The older man was taken aback by the attack. He didn’t have the strength to counter attack, and so he stares at Kenma and chokes up in his own blood. Kenma wishes that he didn’t have to see the disgusting sight, but he couldn’t do anything about it right now. He took his dagger out and lets the old man fall to the ground miserably. Kenma then looks up to check on [name], and he sees that she’s done with her share of their attackers.

“Are you done at your end over there, Kenma?” [Name] then eventually opened her mouth to ask her partner, her gaze inspecting the bodies around her area. She made sure that they all stayed dead on the ground, not wanting to be followed or for them to have survived and go back to the Snakes and report what they have just seen. It’s better to be safe than sorry, after all. “I’m done with mine, so if you’re good to go then shall we head back?” The female assassin finally turns her face to look at Kenma, smiling a bit.

Kenma instantly answers with a nod of his head, quickly surveying his area. He didn’t really thoroughly checked, assuming that they’re all dead because none of them were moving like how a person with life should be doing. “Yeah, I need to clean up,” he says, moving over to [name]’s side, stepping on a few of the bodies on the way.

[Name] hums, ignoring the smell of the decaying bodies around them. It isn’t new to her at all, but she takes account of the way that Kenma scrunched up his nose when he inhales the air deeply. “Let’s hurry, then. We still have a ways to go.” She trudged away from the dead bodies, leading the way and then letting Kenma walk in front of her once they’ve left the dead body zone. She didn’t want to have him out of her sight.

Their footsteps were a bit slower than usual, but still didn’t make a sound. [Name] has always been like this, and she taught Kenma the same thing. The habit has given them advantages during several situations in the past, and so they were glad about it. As they deliberately trudged through the West Woods, [name] stares at Kenma’s figure from behind, trying to see if he has any visible wounds or anything. He was just a bit stained with his own sweat and dirt from fighting, and [name] was glad about that.

“Just to be safe, are you hurt anywhere?” [Name] then opted to ask anyway, wanting to make sure that her assumptions were correct about having him unhurt. “You should go straight to Tadashi or Yachi if you have any wounds. I don’t have any medical supplies with me right now, so I’m sorry that you have to wait longer to be treated.”

Kenma is glad that he’s at the front so that [name] isn’t able to see the smile and pink hue on his face. He takes out a small rag from his vest pocket, and then begins to clean his dagger from any kind of dirt or blood as they walked. He really cherishes his dagger, so he cleans it every time he uses it anywhere. “No broken bones or scratches, [name], I’m fine,” he says that to reassure his partner. “And how about you, no injuries either?” He returns the question back at her, also concerned about her health.

[Name] chuckles to herself, shaking her head even though Kenma can’t see her at the moment. “No need to worry about me, Kenma. I’m just glad that you’re alive right now...” Her voice softens as she says the last part, remembering why she is even with him here right now in the first place. This is her job; he’s her top priority, and the only one keeping her going at the moment. 

After responding, [name] then sensed an evil presence behind her. She couldn’t shrug it off, and so she discreetly brought her dagger out again, and then bravely turned around to face whatever or whoever it is. “Ken...!”

Surprised at the ending intonation, Kenma abruptly rotates his body so that he could see what it was all about. And he isn’t sure what to feel when he sees [name] with her back towards him, her arms stretched forward to stab her dagger in the torso of the gang leader that Kenma assumed was dead. The old gang leader has a small blade of his own as well, the sharp edge already deep in [name]’s skull.

[Name] and the gang leader falls to the ground. And Kenma falters in his steps to get down on the ground as well to cradle his beloved partner on his lap. “[N-Name]?” His voice was filled with disbelief and horror, unable to take this all in as simple as that. He stares at her face, his hand brushing the stray strands of her hair away from her face. “Everything is going to be fine, [name], you’re not going to die,” he says those words as if he’s saying it to himself in pity.

But after a few minutes, and [name] still lays limp in Kenma’s arms, Kenma nuzzles [name]’s cheek with his nose. His eyes began to pool with tears, but he closed his eyes to not have even a single tear escape him. “You can’t die on me now, [name]...” Kenma utters with his voice cracking, lifting his head a bit and opening his eyes again. “We still have to train, right? We have to train so that we can take Kuroo and my kingdom back, right, [name]? [Name]!”

Kenma hates the fact that he couldn’t do anything. He felt so weak and useless. And he hates the fact that he couldn’t tell [name] how he feels about her. He didn’t get to say how she made him feel less lonely and more complete, happy that they’ve kept each other company through the years. He didn’t have the chance to tell her how happy she made him; how her smile made him feel so safe and want to keep and hold her forever. Though he is holding her right now, he didn’t want it anymore; at least not like this where her skin looked pale and felt cold, her heart not pumping blood into her veins.

 

_1 year later_

It has been an entire year since Kenma and [name] went to the West Woods and was founded by the gang that has been hunting them down for a few years. Which means it’s been a whole year since [name] had saved Kenma from a sneak attack of the gang leader and died. 

Kenma didn’t want to leave [name]’s body, of course, and so he brought her on his back all the way to Karasuno. He had almost all the heads of the people of the kingdom turning his way as he entered the gates, but the young assassin didn’t care. The moment he stepped foot in the palace, Tobio and some of their friends had immediately approached them in worry of the sight of the two.

Kenma didn’t want to let go at first. He was in a state of denial at that time. And it took many persuasions from Koushi and the others to tell him to go back to his room and clean up. The deceased body of [name] was taken by Kiyoko and Hitoka to clean and prepare for the funeral.

After the funeral, Kenma had basically spent his time locked in his own room. He barely ate and went out of his room at all. But after a few pep talks with his close friends in a span of five months, he found the strength to go out and train. He added a new goal to his list, to kill all the Snakes and avenge [name].

Back to the now, Kenma and all of [name]’s close friends had gathered around her grave. It was positioned on a hill she and Kenma had found years ago, a place where the rising and setting of the sun and moon can be seen. It was truly a beautiful place, and Kenma knew that [name] would just love it.

Tobio then approaches the male assassin, glancing up and down between the grave and Kenma before he spoke. “So... What do you plan to do now?” He had asked out of curiosity, not knowing of Kenma’s plan for revenge. “If you need any help, you know we’re here to help you out in any way we can.”

Kenma appreciated the concern, really, but what he will do will be something only he can do by himself. He couldn’t ask help from them; they’ve already helped more than enough and bringing them along with him is only a bad idea. He didn’t want to risk any more important lives, so he has decided to do this alone.

“Thanks, but I’ll be going out by myself from now on.” Kenma knows that his answer surprised Tobio, but it didn’t matter now that he’s made up his mind. “I can’t have everyone I know die.”

And by late in the afternoon, Kenma had his things already packed. He spent his last few remaining hours in the kingdom with his friends. He didn’t take long, wanting to keep it short but sweet. Staying much longer than planned may just be the very reason as to why he would never leave. The pudding head trudged out of the large gates of Karasuno, his face void of any kind of expression just like how he’s always been.

It had taken Kenma awhile to go back to his homeland. He had encountered a few people after his head that were countable with his fingers, but he simply hid himself and only engaged in a real fight if it was necessary. He had let a few men escape because he wanted the Snakes to know that he’s alive and somewhere out there in the world.

Kenma wants them to anticipate for his arrival, to grow anxious and have fear in their hearts for what’s coming for them. He’s been dealing with other kinds of bad people other than the ones who are after him, so the word of a young male assassin should spread around until the ears of the Snakes, which is what Kenma is after with. And with just a little bit of time, he’ll reach his home and give the Snakes what they deserve; death.

 

The cool breeze of spring could be felt even as the sun dawned in the kingdom of the Cats, Nekoma. The cloudless orange hued sky was familiar to the male who’s going to return to his home as his feet trekked to the main road of the kingdom. Animals of the land could be seen and heard, and the young male concluded that he would start seeing real people in no time so he pulled his hood on top of his head to not get recognized by anyone. Although Kenma did doubt that anyone would recognize him, only the people who are after him would know who he is so he played it safe for now.

The birds of the air then soon began to be heard, their chirps delightful and the sounds of their wing flaps is a wakeup call to some farmers and other people who wake up at this time. Kenma then began to hurry into the main gate to avoid any suspicious looks from strangers in the fields, knowing that it would be easier to blend in if there were more people around. 

The yellow and red painted cat mark in the middle of the wooden entrance stood out the most, but Kenma despised the fact that it’s a Snake sitting on top of the throne in the castle and not him or any other Cat. There were two guards on each side, standing proud and tall. They just came for their morning shift; Kenma is sure about it, seeing that they were wide awake.

Kenma went and approached one of the guards, wanting to resolve this in a way where not much blood will be spilled. The guard took notice of him, and his eyebrows rise a bit in question, “What are you—...” Kenma quickly pushed his fist forward to the guard’s stomach and the other fist square on his face. He punches with just the right amount of force to knock the air out of his lungs and for the guard to be unconscious with a broken nose.

The other guard instantly becomes alert and he moves closer to Kenma while drawing out his sword, but Kenma pushes the guard to the ground. He couldn’t risk staying longer, and so he uses his fists to make the man unconscious. He was able to get inside without anyone seeing him and that’s good enough for Kenma.

The pudding head didn’t want to waste any more time by staying idle. He walked through the buildings and shops of the place with only one goal in his mind which is to get to the palace where he’s sure the leader of Snakes is staying at to destroy him. He was somewhat distracted at times, he had to admit, being back for the first time in years, but he didn’t allow himself to stay in one place for too long. News about the guards he had beaten up this morning should be spreading around the place and Kenma couldn’t afford to be caught because the people around him are beginning to be a little suspicious.

It took Kenma almost the whole day to reach the palace, but it’s just as planned. He couldn’t get inside if there was still daylight, since he would be easily spotted. But now, here in the darkness of the night to be able to blend in the shadows, Kenma was pretty sure he wouldn’t get caught. 

But Kenma lingered somewhere around the shadows for awhile, until it was midnight. He just felt like it’s the appropriate time and so he sat down in a nearby alley and reviewed the plan in his head. No one knew of what his plan of revenge would be; hell, no one doesn’t even know what he’s up to right now. And when the city’s clock sounded for midnight, Kenma got up and lifted his hood even further to cover a part of his face.

The Snakes wouldn’t know who’s coming for them, and that alone made Kenma look even more forward to singlehandedly taking them out. After all he’s been through, all the people he has lost and then letting those people be his fuel for pushing forward, he’ll finally be able to get his revenge.

There were four guards, Snakes, at the front gate of the palace. Kenma’s eyes linger at the small bottle of rum that one of the guards held, thinking that they shouldn’t be in the right shape to fight. This is all easy for the pudding head, and he quietly walked forward while withdrawing his trusty dagger out of his vest pocket. The guards had noticed Kenma, and their reprimands are slurred and half hearted as they staggered a bit to stand and look all tough looking. With just a few moves, they all were down for the count; and Kenma made sure that it isn’t going to be temporary for the Snakes.

 

The following day, a cloaked figure enters the palace. The young man noticed no guards, and so he proceeded his way to the throne room to see what was going on. But the further he walked into the quiet and eerie feeling walls of the palace, the more he notices the tiny amount of blood scatted at least in one part of the area. The man had become worried, yet he pressed on into the throne room.

“What—...“ Inside the throne room is a sight that the young man didn’t expect at all. He removes his hood off of his head to reveal his dark unkempt hair. His heart rate increases, and he isn’t sure if it’s joy or fear or what because all around the room are the dead bodies of the Snakes.

Daishou Suguru, the leader of the Snakes, sat dead on the very throne with blood on the side of his face. Other dead bodies of the Snakes were scattered across the room as well. Wherever the man seemed to turn, the colour red couldn’t escape his line of sight. The more he stares, the more he felt like he was going to vomit at the sight and at the stench of it as well. This is all too much to take in, and the young man’s gaze gradually travels to the top side of the wall in the room.

There was something written on the wall, and the young man couldn’t make it out until a few seconds later as he twists his head a bit in a different angle. He didn’t know how or what to feel at that very moment. The simple letters that were written with blood were clear as day, and he didn’t know anyone else with those initials.

Turning around, the bed head let’s himself smirk; just like how he used to in the old days. He walks out of the palace, a part of himself feeling proud the moment he stepped foot out of the building. 

_KK, huh?_


End file.
